Watch – Controlled detonation carried out on WW2 bomb

Incredible footage of the Birmingham Second World War bomb being detonated – from a drone flying hundreds of feet above the scene. West Midlands Police released the astonishing clip, hours after a two-day drama came to an end when army experts safely blew up the 550Ib German bomb .

The clip shows the potentially-deadly explosive being detonated – with huge plumes of sand and smoke flying into the skies. Meanwhile, it has been revealed the device was one of the largest ever unexploded bombs discovered in Britain. It was dropped on Aston at the height of the Birmingham Blitz, but failed to detonate.

Joe is a freelance journalist who writes news and features for national newspapers and a variety of magazine titles. He studied Economics and Politics at the University of Manchester and also has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.